Amorges
Amorges '''(died c. 422 BCE) was a leader of the Order of the Ancients who operated in the Achaemenid Empire during the 5th century BCE. A former member of the Persian elite and a close friend of Darius, formerly known as Artabanus, Amorges joined the Order and prevented Darius' assassination of King Artaxerxes I, the son of Xerxes I whom Darius had previously assassinated. After Darius was branded a traitor and forced to flee Persia with his family, Amorges sent a branch of the Order to track him down and eliminate him. Biography Joining the Order Amorges was a member of the Persian elite alongside Artabanus and Pactyas who served during the reign of Xerxes I of Persia. At some point, they learned the existence of the Order of the Ancients, a secret and powerful organization who backed and supported Xerxes and the previous emperors. Opposing the King's tyranny and the organization's corruption, Amorges and Darius secretly formed a small group intending to assassinate Xerxes. They successfully did so in 465 BCE, with Darius personally assassinating the Emperor with a Hidden Blade. With Xerxes' death, his son Artaxerxes ascended the throne. Fearing that he was also manipulated by the Ancients, Darius plotted his assassination soon after. Amorges, however, opposed his decision, believing that the Emperor was still young and they should wait until the evidence suffices that shows his corruption. Nevertheless, Darius went ahead with his plot and infiltrated the palace at night. Amorges, disapproved of Darius' beliefs, joined the Order himself and confronted Darius outside the palace door. Clashing with each other, Amorges called for the guards, an act which branded Darius a traitor to the Empire. As such, Darius was thus forced to flee Persia with his family. Later at some point, Amorges rose to become a leader of the Order and dispatched Pactyas, who similarly joined the Order, to lead a branch to hunt down Darius and his family. Undercover Following the death of Pactyas and the hands of Kassandra, in Makedonia, Amorges travelled to Greece to investigate first-hand the Tainted One who had killed his old friend. He arrived in Achaia alongside the Tempest, a Greek-born member of the Order sent to hunt down Kassandra and Darius, who was also in Achaia at the time. Adopting the pseudonym of '''Orontas, Amorges disguised himself as a stranded merchant seeking to escape the Tempest's blockade of the region. In this capacity, he met with Kassandra and worked with her to undermine the Tempest's control of the region, all with a view to learning more about his enemy. Sometime later, following the birth of Kassandra and Natakas' son, Elpidios, "Orontas" located their home and ordered that the entirety of the Order be brought to Greece to pursue Darius, who had taken up residence with Kassandra and Natakas. After his defeat at the hands of Darius and Kassandra at the Temple of Zeus, Amorges revealed Elpidios' whereabouts and patched up with Darius before succumbing to his wounds. Trivia * Amorges shares his name with the leader of the Carian rebellion against king Darius II in 413 BCE. ** The name Amorges used while operating in Achaia, Orontas, possibly meaning 'valiant,' 'swift,' or 'wealthy' in Avestan, is shared with a line of Armenian rulers that reigned from the 6th century BCE to the 2nd century BCE. * Amorges' background is similar to that of Megabyzus who historically was complicit in Artabanus' plot to assassinate Xerxes but later betrayed him before Artaxerxes could be killed. Gallery ACOD_Amorges.jpg|Amorges in his younger years Appearances * Assassin's Creed: Odyssey - Legacy of the First Blade ** Hunted (first appearance) ** Shadow Heritage ** Bloodline